{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Ep 261 \u2013\u00a0Judges 14-15","description":"In this, our tenth episode on the book of Judges, we\u2019re going to continue our look at Samson, the long-haired, strong-armed, free-spirited Nazarite called by God to judge the people of God. Far from providing us with a poster-boy model of spiritual integrity to follow, Samson gives us far more negative lessons from which to learn. He was a loose-cannon who was always getting into trouble and who found himself accomplishing great feats for God in spite of himself. He wasn\u2019t exactly an icon of virtue or a stellar example of godliness. He was impulsive, self-centered and suffered from a bit of an inflated sense of self-worth. He could be cocky and self-assured. His incredible strength gave him a dangerous sense of indestructibility. He was driven by his passions, and quick to demand what he wanted \u2013 from his parents and even from God. To Samson, life was all about Samson. His universe revolved around him. His thoughts were always about him. And everyone else on the planet existed to serve him. So, why did God use him? What would possess God to put up with someone like Samson? Perhaps his life is provided as a much-needed warning to each of us how easy it is to squander and abuse our calling by God. It isn\u2019t so much that God needs us, as much as it is that God chooses to use us, in spite of us. ","author_name":"Devotionary Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/devotionary.libsyn.com\/podcast","html":"